I'm working on a new website that will specialise in tools for humor site webmasters. In there I will have tons of different cgi scripts like banner exchange, links databases, webrings, top sites scripts as well as some other remotelly hosted cgi scripts for users such as guestbooks, counters, etc. The reason I'm doing this is because I've never seen a site with all these scripts under one roof so to speak. Do you think it's because the scripts mentioned above take a lot of CPU power requiring a dedicated server or will an "average" hosting server be enough? Thank you for your time.

Actual CPU usage needed will depend on the individual scripts installed. Some scripts are simply more efficient than others.

Best bet is to let your prospective host know what your intentions for your site are, how many programs you'll be installing, how many users you aspire to have, and ask if there are there any cgi-restrictions, or if cgi-programs need to be pre-approved, how much is additional bandwidth, server space, etc.

"Average" hosting is a very relative term. Before you decide if an "average" host may suit your needs, estimate your server space and bandwidth needs (at the very least), and start checking hosting and dedicated server plans from there. Many "average" hosting services offer more bandwith than dedicated servers (mb for mb), while dedicated servers generally offer more server space than hosting packages.

I would definitely shy away from the companies that offer "unlimited" traffic and server space. However, if "unlimited" interests you, be sure to check the fine print. One "unlimited" host I encountered said on its website "you have unlimited traffic", then at the bottom of the page, in the tiniest print imaginable, it said something like "accounts exceeding 2gb in traffic will be evaluated and heavy bandwidth surcharges will be assessed at $xx.xx per additional megabyte per month".

It's a big decision ... my suggestion is to carefully evaluate your needs and take your time in finding a suitable match with a hosting company.